Post by Joanna on Feb 17, 2018 5:40:06 GMT 9

Here goes my report: My daughter will be 3 at the end of March and I’m thrilled with her comprehension and use of our ml (English), as well as so proud of my husband...for as long as I can remember he has used 100% English with our daughter...almost 3 years. My French habit is hard to kick, and broken record again...I use it almost 100% with my husband. I’ve been away from the forum and trying not to think too hard, because I’ll get frustrated. However, I’m having fun with a year-long "buy nothing new” challenge, and have decided to do a "minority language March"...who’s with me? I could make a thread specific to the challenge! To give a positive playful boost to this aim...

Comments about priorities of each partner etc, and Adam's book, make me confident that the method of me speaking ml to husband, but accepting responses in ML is a more peaceful approach for us. Potential stumbling blocks: several ML visitors in March, and not knowing whether to go 100% or only with kids in earshot...

English speaking Canadian Mom, French speaking Dad, transitioning to minority language at home (English) with our daughter in France. Our daughter is doing great with English:)

Post by Adam Beck on Feb 17, 2018 6:28:15 GMT 9

My daughter will be 3 at the end of March and I’m thrilled with her comprehension and use of our ml (English), as well as so proud of my husband...for as long as I can remember he has used 100% English with our daughter...almost 3 years. My French habit is hard to kick, and broken record again...I use it almost 100% with my husband. I’ve been away from the forum and trying not to think too hard, because I’ll get frustrated. However, I’m having fun with a year-long "buy nothing new” challenge, and have decided to do a "minority language March"...who’s with me? I could make a thread specific to the challenge! To give a positive playful boost to this aim...

Joanna, I'm happy to hear your positive update! It sounds like things are going really well...even if you've been finding it hard not to use French with your husband. I think your idea of giving minority language use more attention in March is a good one and, I agree, making it a public challenge could be helpful to others as well, so feel free to open a new thread at this board. At the same time, this use of French doesn't seem to be undermining your bilingual aim (and I loudly applaud your husband for his support) so perhaps you needn't be overly concerned. Still, as a general rule, the more English you can use with him (at least when your daughter is listening in), the more her development in that language will likely benefit, too (as well as your husband's).

Adam Beck is the founder of Bilingual Monkeys and The Bilingual Zoo, and the author of the popular book Maximize Your Child's Bilingual Ability amzn.to/22XKuCt and the humorous novel How I Lost My Ear amzn.to/2EsjVRS, both available worldwide. Please support The Bilingual Zoo through Adam's Patreon page www.patreon.com/bilingualmonkeys.

Post by Carrie on Feb 17, 2018 6:35:09 GMT 9

Hi Joanna!

I would love to join you! I love the idea of a minority language March. I too am having a hard time switching to the ml with my husband. And what’s worse, when I speak the ML with him, it slips into my speech with the kids also. I am not a native speaker of our ml, so that makes it harder. But, my husband is a native speaker, so when I keep to the ml he tends to use it more also. Looking forward to the challenge!

Post by Alison on Feb 17, 2018 17:40:03 GMT 9

Great idea, Joanna! I'll join you as I'm finding this difficult too. My husband tends to reply in ML if I use it with him so I really need to use ml whenever my son is there. It'll be fun to take this challenge together!

Post by Joanna on Feb 18, 2018 16:06:40 GMT 9

Always thinking...in preparation for the Minority Language March: What about a trial Minority Language Monday this week, as in...tomorrow! I’ll try. Alison, will you be okay with responses in the majority language?

English speaking Canadian Mom, French speaking Dad, transitioning to minority language at home (English) with our daughter in France. Our daughter is doing great with English:)

Post by Carrie on Feb 19, 2018 10:39:11 GMT 9

I’ll do this Monday also! Good timing, because we hung out with ML speakers the entire day today, so we definitely need a ml reset.

I’ve decided that this time around (both tomorrow and for the month of March) I’m only committing to the challenge for myself. I won’t be asking my husband and kids to join me. I think if I start insisting from day one, it will only turn into nagging and everyone will start to resent the month. However, I think if I switch myself 100% it will have a large impact on everyone else’s language use, and maybe down the road it won’t seem so hard to ask them to commit to 100% ml use.

Post by Adam Beck on Feb 19, 2018 11:30:10 GMT 9

I’ve decided that this time around (both tomorrow and for the month of March) I’m only committing to the challenge for myself. I won’t be asking my husband and kids to join me. I think if I start insisting from day one, it will only turn into nagging and everyone will start to resent the month. However, I think if I switch myself 100% it will have a large impact on everyone else’s language use, and maybe down the road it won’t seem so hard to ask them to commit to 100% ml use.

Carrie, yes, I think your own persistent efforts will come to have a positive and productive impact on the rest of the family! All the best to you, and to everyone else, with your commitment to using the minority language more consistently!

Adam Beck is the founder of Bilingual Monkeys and The Bilingual Zoo, and the author of the popular book Maximize Your Child's Bilingual Ability amzn.to/22XKuCt and the humorous novel How I Lost My Ear amzn.to/2EsjVRS, both available worldwide. Please support The Bilingual Zoo through Adam's Patreon page www.patreon.com/bilingualmonkeys.

Post by Joanna on Feb 19, 2018 23:12:34 GMT 9

How’s everyone doing? I’m having a considerable amount of success...not 100% but almost that, in our ml to my husband. He’s responded in ml quite a bit too. I found I had more success sticking with it earlier in the day, before he was aware of the challenge, ha!

English speaking Canadian Mom, French speaking Dad, transitioning to minority language at home (English) with our daughter in France. Our daughter is doing great with English:)

Post by Carrie on Feb 20, 2018 21:51:30 GMT 9

My day went great yesterday! Very happy with the amount of ml. I got a lot of replies in the ML, but I still feel the momentum is in the right direction. I’m up for ml Tuesday as well, although we’ll be with ML speakers for a good portion of the day today. But February is music challenge month for me and we got new music for the car that we’ve only listened to once and everyone really liked, so I think our time out of the house will still be productive for the ml.

Post by Alison on Feb 20, 2018 23:48:55 GMT 9

I managed to speak ml all day yesterday and even managed to text my husband in ml which I usually don't do. Although once my son was in bed we spoke ML again. I'm going to try and keep it up all week and maybe next Monday I could take it a step further and talk ml in the evening and only listen to ml podcasts when my son is napping.

Post by Raquel on Feb 21, 2018 18:55:39 GMT 9

You're making a great effort, Alison!!

We're doing well too. Hubby started speaking in the ML a few times to me, but I sometimes replied, sometimes translated what he just said into the ml before replying. This thread is helping me remember not to speak in the ML and it's working.

Post by Joanna on Feb 23, 2018 10:14:38 GMT 9

I'm thrilled it went so well for many of you! I spoke a lot of ml to my husband, the most before I told him about the challenge, less when I shared the plan with him, and slipped into 100 percent ML while we chatted in bed. I just totally forgot! I still feel positive overall, and that's key to eventual success I think.

This weekend we'll be on the train to my ML in-laws Friday morning, and back home on the train Monday afternoon/ evening...so I've decided to split minority language Monday in half. So it will be minority language train travel (Friday and Monday). I encourage you to do this when travelling, you might get lucky and meet other minority language speakers this way!

For clarity: this challenge is really about me upping the ml I speak with my husband, we don't struggle with ml to our daughter, that's 100 percent consistent thankfully. It will be fun to see how she deals with the mix this weekend. Before this ML immersion stressed me out, but now I take it as a challenge. I'm happy with her ml production, so a weekend with ML is okay too (just not from my mouth, ha).

I will try to limit my most talkative ML moments to when my daughter can't hear me, but I don't think it's very realistic for me to speak English to my husband all weekend in this context.

How do you intend to deal with having ML friends/family to visit in March...still speak ml to your partner?

English speaking Canadian Mom, French speaking Dad, transitioning to minority language at home (English) with our daughter in France. Our daughter is doing great with English:)

Post by Carrie on Feb 23, 2018 11:22:01 GMT 9

That sounds like a great plan Joanna! I hope you have a very successful ml travel time.

I have not done very well the past two days, but we were with ML speakers for a good portion of both of them, and are about to have a very ML heavy weekend as well. I think I just need to not stress about it and do what I can. Even a smaller than normal amount of ml input is better than giving up on the week completely.

I am still being faithful with my February daily ml music goal. Also today two new ml books arrived in the mail, so that’s another positive.

Post by Joanna on Feb 23, 2018 11:51:10 GMT 9

I like the February music challenge! The March challenge hasn't started yet, don't worry. Maybe choose little blocks of time: a meal? Or Monday...or just wait till March. Stay positive! Reina once told me switching partner languages is like giving up smoking, it's THAT hard!

English speaking Canadian Mom, French speaking Dad, transitioning to minority language at home (English) with our daughter in France. Our daughter is doing great with English:)

Post by Raquel on Feb 23, 2018 18:28:20 GMT 9

I have not done very well the past two days, but we were with ML speakers for a good portion of both of them, and are about to have a very ML heavy weekend as well. I think I just need to not stress about it and do what I can. Even a smaller than normal amount of ml input is better than giving up on the week completely.

We do the best we can, but sometimes speaking to our partner in the ml isn't realistic, and that's okay. At least that's the way I see it.

I like your take on it too, Joanna: instead of focusing on the time spent in the ML, you think of the time when you can use the ml: the train rides!

Hubby and I are trying to switch to speaking in the ml with each other, but I know that when we're with ML speakers this is not realistic or practical, so in these cases we speak in the ML and that's okay.

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